Potato-digger.



No. 65I,534. Patented lune I2, |900.

E. RUTH.

POTATD BIGGER.

(Application Bled Oct. 80; 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

EDVARD RUTH, OF OAK LAWN, ILLINOIS.

POTATO-DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,534, dated June 12, 1900.

Application filed October 30, 18.99. Serial No. 735,197. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD RUTH, acitizen of the United States, residing at` Oak Lawn, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of potato-diggers known as sulky or wheeled diggers; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operations of the various ,parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specilically claimed.

One object of my invention is to provide a potato-digger which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable, and effective in operation, and which by reason of its peculiar construction and operation of its parts will separate the potatoes from the earth, thus leaving them exposed to view after they have been dug.

Another object of my invention is to so construct the digger that 'the plows thereof may be adj usted so as to properly operate on ridges or rows of different widths.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention'pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a rear view in elevation of my potato-digger, showinga portion of one of the wheels and a part of one of the moldboards broken away to illustrate the means for vibrating the shaker or separator. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation `with one of the wheels of the digger removed. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the shaker or separator'.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

A represents the axle on which the wheels a of the digger are journaled. This axle, as is clearly shown in the drawings, is substantially of the shape of an inverted U and may have secured thereon a spring-seat A for the use of the driver. Secured to the shaft or axle A, near its bends, by means of clips a' or otherwise, are braces b, which extend foraxle A by means of brackets a2 or otherwise.

The front portion of the beam B is provided with singletrees, (not showm) to which the horses drawing the digger may be attached, y

and the rear portion Athereof extends some distance to the rear of the axle A, as is clearly t shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and is provided with a transverse plate B ,to which the standards c and c of the plows C and C are secured by means of bolts c2 or otherwise. One side of the transverse plate B is formed with slots c3 for the reception of bolts c2, so that the plow C may be adjusted in respect to the other plow C', both of which plows are preferably of the tu rning-plow type-that is, they comprise moldboards and shares.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the plow C is fixed a slight distance in advance of the plow C for the purpose presently to be explained. Located diagonally between the plows is a share or plate D, which is fixed at one of its ends to the front portion of the plow C and has its other end free, but so as to lie in an oblique position to the surface of the ground. Located beneath the plate or share D is the cross-bar E of the shaker or separator, whose ends e have their bearings in the lower portion of the share, as is clearly shown lin Figs. l and 4 of the drawings. Secured to the cross-bar E and extending rearwardly therefrom are a number of rods or fingers el, which are raised at their rear ends, and, as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, those adjacent `to the plow C' are located higher than those near the plow C, thus forming an inclined, yet broken, surface, through which the dirt may pass, while the potatoes are retained thereon.

Fixed on the shaft A is a lever Gr, having a grip g near its upper end, which is connected to a spring-actuated pin g', which engages the segment-gear H, secured on one of the braces b of the beam. This lever is used to raise or lower the plows,for it is evident that by pressing the grip g toward the handle of the lever the pin 71, will be disengaged from the gear H, when by moving the lever to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings the plows will be lowered to the surface of the ground.

By placing the plow C somewhat in advance of the plow C it is apparent that the weeds, vines, and clods-will pass from the plate D and the lingers d to the rear of the plow C, thus offering no impediment to its progress. Secured to the cross-bar E, near one of its ends, is a rod h, which is bent laterally, so as to extend over the plow C and then upwardly near the adjacent wheel. On this upright portion of the rod h is adj ustably secured, by means of a set-screw h'a rod h2, which extends between the spokes of the wheel, so that in the rotations thereof said projection will strike its spokes and agitate or shake the shaker, thus causing the potatoes to be separated from the dirt.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;-

1. The combination with a wheeled axle or shaft, of two plows mounted thereon, a share 0r blade, located diagonally therebetween, a cross-bar pivotally secured below said share, and having a series of rearwardly-extending fingers or rods, and a rod secured at one of its ends to the cross-bar, and extending over one of the plows and lprovided with means to strike the spokes of one of the wheels, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a wheeled axle or shaft, of a plow mounted thereon, a share or blade located diagonally to the plow, a bar pivotally secured below the share and having a series of rearwardly-extending fingers or rods, and a rod secured at one of its ends to the said bar, and having means to engage the spokes of one of the wheels, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a wheeled axle or shaft, of two plows mounted thereon in parallelism yet one in advance of the other, a share or blade'secured at one of its ends to the front part of one of the plows, and having its other end free, a cross-bar pivctally secured below said share, and havinga series of rearwardly andupwardly extending fingers or rods, and a rod secured at one of its ends to said bar, and having means to engage the spokes of one of the wheels, substantially as described.

ED TARD RUTH.

Witnesses:

CHAs. C. TILLMAN, A. GUsTAFsoN. 

